Desk telephone set



l. L. HOPKINS DESK TELEPHONE SET Filed Oct. 29, 1930 Sept. 15, 1931.

Patented Sept. 1.5, 1931 l i, UNITED 1 STATES IRVING- L. HOPKINS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO BELL TELEPHONE LABORATO- KIES, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK PATENT OFFICE DESK TELEPHONE snr Application filed Octoberk 29, 1930. Serial No. 491,829.

l Thisinvention relates to telephone substation apparatus and more particularly to telephone desk sets for automatic systems.

Desk' sets for automatic systems usually comprise a movable stand on which a dialing mechanism is mounted. When using a desk set of this type it has been found that during the dialing operation the movable stand tends to slide over the surface of the desk, table or the like on which it rests and thereby causes inconvenience to the telephone user. In fact, it is often necessary to hold the stand with one hand while dialing with ther other.

An object of this invention isr to prevent slipping of the movable stand during the dialing operation while allowng easy move' menty of the desk set at all other times.

This object is attained in accordance with this invention by providing a plurality of friction` members in the base of the telephone desk set.'` The members are mounted on one endv of a lever and when the desk set is not in use the lever is tilted so that the friction members yare withdrawn into ythe base and out of contact with the surface on which the telephoneV set rests. However, when the receiver or hand telephone is removed from the stand, the lever is automatically released until the friction members engage the supporting surface and prevent slipping of thestand during the subsequent dialing operation. -When the receiver or hand telephone is replaced on the stand, the friction members are disengaged from the supporting surface and the telephone set may be moved at will to any desired position on the supporting surface.

The features of the invention will be morev clearly understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

l:l`ig.v 1 is a view in elevation of a telephone desk set made in accordance with this invention with a portion of the desk stand broken away to show the assembly ofthe automatic friction device and the position of the friction members whenvthe hand telephone, a cross section of which is shown, is at rest on the cradle of the desk stand; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the desk stand with a portion broken away to show the position of the friction members when the hand telephone is removed from the cradle of the desk stand; and f Fig. 3 is a bottom View of the telephone desk stand with the base plate removed showing the automatic friction device of this invention.`

Referring now tothe drawings, the telephone desk set comprises a hand telephone' 10, shown in cross section in Fig. 1, and a desk stand. The desk stand, the essential elements of which are shown more clearly in U. S. Patent 1,508,424 issued September 16, 1924, to George R. Thompson, comprises a hollow pedestal 11 upon which a dialing mechanism 12 is mounted, a tubular standard 13, anda cradle, having a plurality of upwardly and 'outwardly flared tines 14, in which the hand telephone 10 rests when the telephone desk set is not in use. A plunger comprising a at horizontal bar 15 lying between the tines 14 and a spindle 16 adapted tok reciprocate in the tubular standard 13 actuates contact springs 17 mounted on the arms 18 of a pyramidal frame. This frame ing this dialing operation the horizontal component of the pressure applied to the diallng mechanism is often suliicient to cause the desk stand to slide across the surface on which it rests and thereby inconvenience the person using the desk set.

This objectionable movement of the desk stand is substantially prevented in accordance with this invention by providing a plurality of friction members or feet 24, of rubber or similar material, which are caused to engage the surface on which the desk stand rests whenever the hand telephone is removed from lugs'29 disposed parallel to apertured arms or flanges rigidly attached to the lugs 19. A rigid. metallic rod 3.1, Passes through the 111sS'29, the/flanges 30. and. .tubular sleeves. 32

vaffixed to the rod 3l by set screws 33, andV thereby provides a. fulcrum about which the lever, comprising the bars 26 and`28, may

rock. The free end ofthe bar 2 8 provided With an adjustable screvv 34 vvhich engages the lovver end of the spindle 16'. A helical tension spring 8.5 is attached at one end to a projecting arm 36 integral With the pyramidal Lframe Within the pedestal Il and at its other end is attached to the' flat bar 28 by a bolt 37.

When the hand telephone 10 is in the cradle, as shown in Fig. l, the plunger is depressed and the loWerend thereof engages the set screw 34 thereby holding the friction feet 24. adjacent the apertures 38 in the base plate20. outof engagement With the surface onl which the desk stand rests. The desk stand may therefore be easily moved over the surface on which it rests to any desired position. When the hand telephone is removed from .the cradle, as shown in Fig. 2,

. the plunger rises Within the standard 13 and the helical `spring Srocks thelever about the rodV Slso thatthefriction feet 24 are pro,-

jected'through the apertures 38 in the base plate 20 and caused to engage the surface upon which the desk standJ rests. During thel subsequent dialing operation thefeet 24 grip the surface on which the desk stand rests andi prevent any slipping of the desk stand over the surface. When the hand telephone 1.0 is. replaced.' upon the cradle, the feet 24 are lifted out of-.engagement with the support- Vmgl surface to the' inoperative yposition as shovvnA in Fig." l. The desk set may again be easily.'V moved to. any. desired. placeV on the desk, table or the like on which itrests.

4Although in the specific embodiment illustratedthe invention is incorporated in a desk set embodying/a hand telephone, it is equally applicable to a desk set ofthetype in Which afreceiver is supported on a, hook switch Y `pivoted on a standard rigidly supporting a telephone transmitter. It is to be understood that. any number of friction feet may belusedandthat many modications may be made in this invention Without departing from the vscope thereof as defined in the. appended claims."

What is 1claimed is:

1.' Atelephone desk setcomprisinga hand teleph'pne,y a" desk stand therefor Vadapted to re'ston a substantiallyA horizontal surface, andl means autmatically operable only when said hand telephone is removed from said desk stand for preventing sliding movement of said desk stand over said surface.

2. A telephone desk set comprising a pedestal adapted to rest on a substantially horizontal surface, switching mechanism mounted Within said pedestal, dialing means mounted on said pedestal, and means controllable by said switching mechanism for preventing Sliding. mavement of 'Said' pedestal 0.11. said horizontal surface When said dialing means is operated.

' 3. The combinationl With a hand telephone ofva support therefor comprising a base adapted to rest on a substantially horizontal surface, a standard mountedon said base, a cradle'memberon said standard for seating the hand telephone, a plunger reciprocable in said standard, and-.friction means controllable by said plunger for engaging said surface When said hand telephone is removed from said cradle.

4. A telephone desk set comprising a hand telephone, a desk stand therefor adaptedto. restv on a substantially horizontal surface, means operabler when said hand telephone. is removed from said desk stand forl preventing sliding movement of said desk stand over said surface, and means operable. when said hand telephone is replaced on said desk stand to render said rst mentioned means inoperative.V

5. A telephone desk. set comprising a pedestal adapted to vrest on a substantially horizontal surface, dialling'. mechanism. on said pedestal, means operable. toiprevent sliding. movement of said pedestal on said surface When said dialing mechanism is operated, and means 'for rendering.l said'. iirst mentioned mea-ns inoperative. "6. A telephone desk tand comprising a` pedestal adaptedv to rest on. a subst-antially` horizontal surface, a standard ony saidf ped-` estal, a plunger reciprocable in said stand ard, a, lever having oney end: in engagement with said plungenand frictionmeans for engaging said surface mounted on.. the. other end of said lever.

7. A telephone` desk stand comprising. a pedestal adapted to rest ona substantially horizontal surface, a standard on said peldestal, a plunger reciprocable insaid' standard, aV lever'having one! end inV engagement With said plunger, friction means. mounted on the other v.end of said.V lever and means for causing said friction means to engage vsaid surface When said plunger is in its` raised? position. y y i 8. A telephone desk standcomprising a pedestal, a base plate for said pedestal having a plurality of apertures therein, a stand'- ard on said pedestal, a plunger reciprocablein said standard, a leverfulcrumedf Within said pedestalandhaving one end in engagement With said plunger, and frictionv feet zontal surface, a base plate for said pedestalk having a plurality of apertures therein, a standard on said pedestal, a plunger reciprocable in said standard, a lever fulcrumed c Within said pedestal and having one end in c engagement With said plunger, a plurality of friction members mounted on said lever and disposed adjacent said apertures, and means for causing said friction members to project through said apertures andengage said surface.

l0. In combination With a hand telephone, a desk stand therefor adapted to rest on a substantially plane surface, a lever Within said desk stand, friction means mounted on said lever and normally out of contact With said surface, and means engaging said lever and operable When the hand telephone is removed from the desk stand to cause said friction means to engage said surface.

1l. A telephone desk set comprising a hand telephone, a stand therefor adapted to rest on a surface, a lever Within said stand, friction members attached to said lever, and recipro- Y eating means engaged by said hand telephone for automatically tilting said lever in op* posite directions to cause engagement or release of said friction members with the surface.

12. In combination With a hand telephone, a desk stand therefor' comprising a pedestal adapted to rest on a'substantially horizontal surface, a base plate for said pedestal having a plurality of apertures therein, a standard on said pedestal, a plunger reciprocable in said standard, a lever in said pedestal fulcrumed intermediate its end and having one end in engagement with said plunger, friction means mounted on the other end of said lever and disposed adjacent said apertures, tension means for tilting said lever when said hand telephone is removed from said desk stand to cause said friction means to engage said surface, and means for disengaging said friction means from said surface when said hand telephone is reassociated with said desk stand.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto lsubscribe my name this 27th day of October, 1930.

IRVING L. HOPKINS. 

